Behind the builder: Tanise Love, Senior Employee Impact Manager

In this #BehindTheBuilder post, Tanise Love shares her path to Twilio — one shaped by loss, purpose, and a passion for people. As a Senior Employee Impact Manager, she brings Twilio’s culture of giving to life, helping employees show up for their communities in lasting ways. Tanise reflects on the moments that shaped her, the values that guide her, and why Twilio feels like home.

Behind the Builder: Tanise Love

What was the ‘aha’ moment that led you to Twilio💡

Losing my mom not long before I joined Twilio changed everything. It was one of the hardest times in my life. It made me think deeply about what truly brings me joy, and how I could honor my grief while moving forward. That loss gave me urgency to find meaningful work in a place where I could fully be myself.

I started searching for a role that blended my background in nonprofit and corporate social responsibility with my love for people, community, and building programs that matter. I wanted to do it at a smaller company, in a more intentional way.

After coming across a random LinkedIn post from someone with a bright red profile pic (which I later recognized as Twilio’s signature red), I researched the company, and when I saw Twilio.org was hiring a Senior Manager of Social Impact, I applied immediately.

What stood out was how Twilio supports life-changing work around the world and helps social impact organizations scale. And then there was Twilio’s employee impact program, WePledge. The way the company genuinely supports employees in showing up for the causes they care about. I was sold.

Twilio is a company of builders. What are you currently building?  🛠️

At Twilio, I build the pathways that help employees show up for their communities in ways that are meaningful to them. I co-lead our employee impact program, known as WePledge, which encourages Twilions to give 1% of their time or financial resources to causes they care about. Through our program, co-led by my colleague Mary Dohrmann, who I couldn’t do this work without, we work hard to make Twilions’ social impact journey real, actionable, and an integral part of the overall employee experience.

In practice that looks like leading big employee engagement initiatives with internal stakeholders across several teams, partnering with external nonprofit partners and WePledge grantees, shaping how new hires are introduced to our culture of giving, partnering with execs and ERGs to build meaningful experiences, and managing internal storytelling through things like the WePledge newsletter and Slack channels.

My work lives at the intersection of strategy, design, teamwork, and execution. It includes figuring out what inspires people to act, and building the systems to support it. At the end of the day, I’m part of a team who is building something that’s both human and scalable. I get to lead the kind of work that sticks with people.

What’s the secret sauce that sets your team apart?✨

Our team is an intricate part of shaping Twilions’ social impact journey across multiple pillars. We’re nimble, flexible, and an all-female group of powerhouse yet down to earth individuals. Together, we help Twilions show up in ways they didn’t even realize were possible.

Take the CEO roadshow, for example. While the spotlight was naturally on connecting with our CEO, seeing demos, and team building, we helped weave in opportunities for employees to volunteer or donate to their favorite charity. What could have been “just an event” became a moment that inspired ongoing generosity, with some Twilions telling us it motivated them to keep giving long after.

Another moment was supporting Black History Month alongside our Black Twilions ERG. We created space for people to come together through doing good, honoring culture and history in a way that felt real and engaging. My team gets to collaborate with ERGs like this throughout the year, which means we’re not only driving impact but also building a space where Twilions feel they belong.

Those experiences stretched me, strategizing and leading across locations, events, comms, executive teams, and ERGs. But it also sharpened my belief that when you center people and help them find purpose, you can spark lasting impact. That’s the heartbeat of our team’s “secret sauce.”

Remote work: Game changer or just an excuse to wear sweatpants to meetings?🧘‍♀️💻

I’ve been working remotely since 2016, so finding a role that supported that way of working was a top priority for me. Twilio’s flexibility lets me protect my time and build a rhythm that works both for my life and the kind of work I do.

Remote life has its moments. With most of my team on the East Coast, I sometimes miss the little things… like grabbing coffee or catching up in person. But regular syncs, a supportive leader, and the way Twilio uses Slack — especially the Twilio Life and WePledge channels — help everything feel more connected and human.

One thing I appreciate is how Twilio listens to employees. The new coworking program is a great example. Having dedicated spaces to work when we want to leave the house gives us a chance to work somewhere new, and meet up with teammates without the usual back and forth of picking a spot or meeting via Zoom.

And on a personal note, the ClassPass benefit has been a total game changer. It’s helped me stay active and stay committed to a big goal of mine, losing 50 pounds. 

That kind of support, beyond the meetings and emails, really matters. It makes me feel like the company sees me as a whole person, not just an employee.

What moment, project, or push helped you grow the most at Twilio? 📈

One of the moments I’m most proud of was helping lead the relaunch and execution of our Global Impact Week. It was a massive lift, but such a meaningful one. Last October, in just one week, Twilions logged 2,581 volunteer hours across almost 30 cities (and virtually). We just wrapped our 2025 Global Impact Week, and although we’re still counting, we increased participation with over 3,000 hours logged across 55+ events (including virtual, on your own options). People showed up in so many ways: mentoring students, cleaning local shelters, supporting rescued animals, packing almost 3,000 lbs of food for families (in one sitting) and the list goes on.

Rebuilding this program as a hybrid, live and virtual experience wasn’t easy, but the response made it more than worth it. We had an incredible cross-functional crew, from internal teams to nonprofit partners, all coming together to bring the vision to life. And those that made the majority of the event execution happen were Our Impact Champions. These are Twilions who step up to volunteer to lead social impact initiatives for their local hub. Their support plus thoughtful incentives and engaging opportunities led to great engagement and participation for 2024 and this year, including lots of first time volunteers. Almost every single Twilion at the Vice President level and up rolled up their sleeves and joined in, setting the tone from the top. It was such a big hit, with more hours and inspiring stories still rolling in.

Which Twilio Magic value resonates most with you, and why? 🦄

The Twilio Magic value that resonates most with me is ‘We Are Positrons’ — especially the part about being genuine and empowering others.

I’ve always believed that how you treat people matters just as much as what you get done. At Twilio, I’ve been able to lean into that fully. I don’t have to filter who I am to fit in here. I bring my full self to the work — my personality, my perspective, and the experiences that have shaped me. And in return, I’m part of a team that truly values those differences.

This value also shows up in how I lead. I take the responsibility of helping others grow seriously. Whether it’s mentoring, onboarding new hires, connecting employees to new causes or strategizing about the future of employee impact at Twilio. I want people to know that they belong, and that what they contribute matters. How I make people feel is just as important as the project or program itself.

What Twilio program would you fight to keep forever? 🎁

I know I’m probably not supposed to choose my day-to-day work, but honestly, what stands out most to me is how Twilio shows up for the world. Through Twilio.org - including our product, our people, and our capital — we support more than 25,000 mission driven customers reaching over 700 million people each year. Our Impact Fund invests millions through grantmaking, and we prioritize environmental sustainability and ESG in meaningful ways. And I get to serve on this team, helping design how our employees show up across each of these pillars? I’ll fight for that forever!

The fact that social impact is a real priority here hits close to home. My mom was the kind of person everyone in the neighborhood could count on. Her house was an open door, she gave any chance she could - mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially. That spirit shaped me. I even met my husband volunteering. Social impact is in my DNA, and Twilio feels like exactly where I’m meant to be.